Poison and Blackmail
by Cloaked-Kelpie
Summary: Marlin's illness is acting up, and it seems like it's just getting worse. Jill is getting worried, and uses a thief to get her cures that she thinks the doctors are too scared to use. But she's desperate, so poison and blackmail are used.


**Disclaimer: Don't own HM: Another wonderful life.**

**A/N: Just edited some typos I saw. They were getting on my nerves.**

**Poison and Blackmail**

Jill looked down at her husband, Marlin, after having a long day of going through pain because of his illness was finally able to get some sleep.

She had been worried over him all day, and her worry continued to grow, since everyday it seemed to get a little worse. It hadn't been like this before, sure he'd feel ill for a few days and had to stay in bed, but after he would get better, back to the way he was before.

They had only been married for a few years, and he told her of his illness before hand, but she said she didn't care if he was sick, that he'd get better over time. She would never leave him.

Now she wasn't so sure, what if the illness kept getting worse, and he never got better?

Jill hated these moments of weakness, when she just wanted to break down and cry, holding him close to her. She refused to break down when he was around though, because if she was feeling this way, imagine what he had to be going through.

She remembered catching him shaken up, and all she could do was hold him as he settled down, distraught by the thought his illness was forever and that he may die long before his wife even got old, or even before he had a chance to finally have children.

With the way things were going, he would not be cured.

Jill had to think of something, there _had to _be some cure out there for him. However, the doctors told them time and time again that they knew of no such cure, and could only give him medicine they thought would be able to help the man.

She had a feeling that they may be holding out, in fear of it not working - but _did _have an experimental cure that may work. If she could just get the recipe, she could make it herself.

After all, one of her hobbies was collecting herbs, as well as looking at poisons. In fact she had some on hand.

With that thought in mind, she laid out a piece of paper on her table, making it to come out like it was a recipe to some good curry since that seemed to be what he was after. She knew this from her neighbors talking about what he took from them, and they all found it odd.

That thief was going to help her, and she knew how to lay him in a trap. He didn't know her, but she has seen him many times, especially when he went on a stealing spree here at Ramona's mansion. That had been only a few months ago, and he's been attacking a house each night.

Hers was coming up soon.

It may not be tonight, but she'd keep an eye out for the man. And with that, she climbed back into bed where her husband lay.

*******

Jill had been stalking the thief for about 3 days, watching what he does, and even taking a few photos for blackmail, for if the poison isn't enough to motivate him, the photos will. The police weren't that far away, and he was supposedly wanted.

She wouldn't resort to such measures of using someone if she wasn't so desperate to get her husband well again. Even if he wouldn't be fully cured, it would be better than just standing by and watching him suffer. She would gladly take some of the pain and bear it with him, but she couldn't, so she would do what she could - and this was something she could do.

Luckily Marlin didn't notice her staying out late. Since sleep was the only time he was at peace, unless he was having nightmares. Even she wasn't allowed to go there and fight his demons, and could only comfort him in the waking world.

It was also fortunate that the thief had yet to notice her. Then again, she was being a stalker, something that wasn't really that hard if you were quiet and hid in the correct places.

The silver-haired thief seemed to be going in order, starting with Ramona and most likely ending with Vesta, since her house was the farthest.

When she first saw him, she thought he was good-looking, which he still was, but she was getting to know his personality, and he came off as an arrogant ladies man, thinking he'd never get caught.

Her house was next, and she would use the silver-haired man that had a smirk on his face and a paper in his hand as he walked by her hiding spot, and blended with the night so he'd have a chance to strike again.

Which would be her home.

*******

Jill woke up late the next morning, and was surprised to see Marlin up, he still looked pale from where she could see him, and not in the best shape. But it was the first time she saw him up and about, especially since he'd been bedridden for about a week.

Her heart swelled with hope that he _was_ getting better, and would have a chance at a long life with her. Maybe she wouldn't have to use the thief after all.

"Honey, how are you feeling?" Jill got out of bed, hair disheveled from moving so much in her sleep, orange pajamas all wrinkled.

He looked at her from where he was sitting, and watching T.V. He looked terrible, but he was up! That had to mean something. "I've been better." He muttered, giving her one of his small smiles. He started coughing soon after, and she went to him, hitting him lightly on the back to see if that'd help.

When his coughing fit was over, he apologized, like he did so many times over the years when he was sick. "How many times do I have to tell you? This isn't your fault, you can't control this."

Marlin looked away from her brown eyes, still ashamed that he was sick, but understood her words.

"I'll make you something to eat before I hit the fields and animals." She went through the door to her kitchen where the recipe was carefully hidden in one of her cook books, a place Marlin never bothered to look.

She made him some soup, and toast. Leaving the pot out in case he wanted more after she set out for work. She took it to him, and she could see that he was hungry.

He ate it like a man starving, and she again thought that maybe there was hope.

"If you need me for anything, you know where to find me. I'll check in and see how you're doing every now and then." He nodded, cheeks full of soup.

With that, she went out and did what she loved. Taking care of plants, and being with animals.

Jill worked happily in the cool fall day, picking out the plants that were ready and ripe. When she was done, she stood up and stretched her back, her dog stood up as well, tail wagging as she bent down to pet his orange furred head.

_Time to check on Marlin._ She put the plants in a basket, carrying it inside where she would set them in her fridge. "Honey?" She opened the door, calling out his name. Her heart stopped when she saw him on the ground, passed out.

"Marlin!" She set aside her basket, and ran to Takakura, screaming what was wrong as the older and bigger man came out and carried her husband down to the doctor's.

The man with the one eye took him in, and immediately put him on a machine that helped regulate his breathing. He said Marlin had to stay overnight, as things may get worse.

Jill didn't want to leave, but she had a trap to set. The thief would be coming soon.

*******

She put her recipe out, one that was to make a poison, not curry. But the silver-haired man didn't know that. He would soon find out something was wrong when he tried to use it, and cooked it, putting contents that would set him on a time limit for his life.

Jill knew the cure, and would give it to him once he did what she asked.

She then got ready for sleep, trying not to worry about her husband who lay in a bed with a machine attached to him. The doctor's had no idea what his illness really was, since it had symptoms that could be from several illnesses. He got it from working in the city, where he had trouble breathing. That didn't explain the spasms that sometimes occurred, or the sneezing and migraines.

She'd set out and look for a cure if she could, but she didn't want to leave him. Besides, if she did her efforts may just be in vain.

Jill finished changes, and let down her brown hair from the ponytail she had it in.

She turned off all the lights, and went to sleep. Or pretended to, because she heard a window opening, and knew the thief took the bait.

Only a matter of time before he came back demanding what exactly the recipe was when he ended up nauseous, vomiting, and in pain the first few hours.

*******

"Damn it! What was in that recipe?!" The thief, his name Skye, demanded. He usually wouldn't yell at a pretty woman, but he be damned if he didn't get an answer from the brunette, who just stared right back at him with violet eyes, and knew she wasn't at all scared of him. She knew that she was the one in charge, even if he acted like he was.

Jill stayed silent. Marlin was still at the doctor's, who lived in the old couples house now since the old man moved when his wife died, she was mad, and this man before her was not going to intimidate her.

"Sit down." Her voice was firm. He didn't want to, but knew at this rate nothing was going to get answered. So he sat, and looked at her with vehemence in his eyes. She wasn't fazed in the least.

"That recipe _was_ for a curry, it just happened to be poisoned. You did it yourself, I didn't make if for you."

_POISON!?_ He was poisoned. Who the hell left a poisoned curry recipe out on a kitchen table? This chick was crazy. He took deep breathes to calm his panic. It was late at night, and he wouldn't be here talking with a psychotic woman if he could find the cure himself. He looked _everywhere_ in her house, and found nothing. At least anything he could understand.

"What's the cure?" He resisted using his 'chick beam' on her. That'd do him no good.

"Look, I need you to do something for me. More like steal, to be accurate."

"Why should I?" He was being rebellious. He didn't want to be used by anyone. But the way things were going, he'd have to do it.

"If you don't do it you die, there's also the fact that I have pictures of you stealing things. I know where you go, and it wouldn't be hard to find you again." He started to retort, saying she was lying, but she laid out pictures on her kitchen table showing just that.

How could this simple, crazy farming woman track him when the police couldn't? She had him impressed, and knew he had to do it. Even if he found a cure book of some kind, he didn't know what kind of poison she tricked him into eating.

Only she knew, and she wasn't giving that info until she got what she wanted."Fine. What is it I have to steal?"

She told him, and he went immediately after talking with her, since she told him the poison would kill him in four days.

*******

A few days after, he returned to her, feeling terrible. The poison was really kicking. He gathered al the recipes on cures of what she describe as he could, and handed them to her that night. Again, he was impressed by her, not just because she was pretty, but because she was so devoted to the man she was married to.

She told him her reasons in their chat when he asked, and thought it a shame a semi-crazy woman would go this far for someone. He thought it a shame he hadn't met her sooner, even if their relationship never took off to something like love, but he had a feeling they could become close friends. Besides her poisoning him, that is.

The said husband lay in the bed in the other room, panting and shaking. He looked wan and worn out.

This had the brunette worried, and he could see the stress this was causing her.

She examined all the recipes. A smile crept on her face when she realized they may just work.

She stood up, and went to her refrigerator. "What are you doing? What about the cure?" He was getting dizzy.

"I'm making it right now, smart ass." She snapped, not in the mood to deal with the thief.

He shut up, putting his head in his hands.

Jill took out many ingredients and threw them into the boiling pot. A few hours later, it was done, and she put it in the cup for him. "Here."

He gulped it down. Nothing happened right away, but he was soon feeling a lot better, and saw that she was making something else. It was the recipe he brought her.

He debated on what he should do.

Skye really did feel bad for her, someone so young having to go through all this already.

Jill looked at him as everything boiled. "I'm sorry for doing that, but I needed to see if anything could help him."

Her violet eyes had despair and hope in them, and all he could do was nod.

_Such a shame._

"You can go whenever." She went back to her 'cooking'.

He turned and left, already knowing he would be back to see the outcome.

*******

"He's going to die." Jill said, her eyes red from crying for almost an hour. She didn't want to cry, but when her and Marlin received the news earlier that day, she remained strong for him.

_The cure didn't work._

She broke down when Skye asked her what happened later when he arrived in the night. She could hold it in anymore, especially since her husband was again sleeping in the back room where he couldn't see her.

"We don't know when, we just know it's gong to happen within the coming years."

Skye didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do, but as she started crying again, all he could offer was his presence.

When her crying again stopped, he asked, "What are you gong to do?"

Jill looked at him. "Stay with him, of course. I won't leave his side for anything, and if the goddess is kind, maybe he'll get better." She was consoling herself, but she meant what she said about staying with him.

Skye was always impressed with this woman. Perhaps a friendship could be formed, as it looked like the brunette would need it in the coming months as her husband slowly died.

So he hung around, and talked with her each night, as the two became close friends, he hated seeing her stressed and heart-broken as the condition of Marlin got worse. Hell, he even met the black-haired man when Jill introduced him. It had been one of his better days, and the thief saw he _was _a good man.

But there was nothing he could do for him. All he could do, as well as Jill, was watch as deaths door crept closer.

When the day finally did come, and with Jill's heart crushed and spirit broken, he did all he could for her, which was be a friend in her time of need.

It wasn't fair for someone so young to already lose her first husband.

But life wasn't fair, and Skye knew this personally as he held the crying brunette in his arms who wept for her first love.

**E N D**

**______________**

**I think I'm due for a happy ending. It seems kinda rushed, huh. I may fix that in the future.**

**Review? :B**


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